meditation

For the Lord is Good!

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For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.
Psalm 100:5 AMP
http://bible.com/8/psa.100.5.AMP

Meditation has been sold as a mindless mantra, a zoning achieved by repeating over and over a word or sound that will open the soul to a higher level of knowledge or peace.   This perception of meditation is a 180 from God’s definition found in Joshua 1:8.  The term meditate is all about chewing and digesting like a cow chewing on her cud.  Meditation is meant to transform and open your spirit to God’s wisdom and leading.  As you read the Bible God speaks.  When something pops out to you STOP!  Mull it over.  Think about what is being said.  Ask God to explain it to you.  Go back to it throughout the day.  Ask God what He wants you to do with this information.   Talk about it to the people you meet.  Chew on it.  Change.

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Guilt free rest: He restores my soul

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It is a gorgeous summerish Sunday afternoon in Southern California this first day in December 2013.  Our chimes are singing with the gentle caressing breezes and I am totally lacking ambition to be productive which, as it turns out,  fits in quite nicely with our pastor’s sermon this morning.  He spoke about God’s leading, sometimes in looking back we can say doubtless God led us all the way.  But,  according to the 23rd Psalm God is our GOOD SHEPHERD and He is always leading even when it doesn’ t feel like it.  Also, according to our pastor, God is ok with us experiencing pain if it serves His purposes of drawing us closer to bearing the image of His Son, Jesus.  So, what does all this have to do with my being ok with not accomplishing anything today?  I can rest guilt free because Psalm 23 says He leads me beside still waters to restore my soul.  When was the last time you relaxed so God could repair and restore your soul?
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Press this!

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The pedals are to dampen the sound, magnify or amplify the sound, or sustain a sound. It takes wisdom, timing, education, innate sensitivities, risk taking, practice, to transform the notes in each connection or encounter we make with others, our circumstances, our environment into the music that is you. Sometimes the wonder, the confusion, the joy, the pain within calls for a sweet whisper. Sometimes we must strike with conviction and exclaimation. Then as the song fades the music seems to take on an echoing reverb that beckons and invites repetition. Selah.